A FURTHER 21 new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Dorset, latest figures show.

The number of recorded coronavirus cases in the Dorset Council area has increased by eight over the last 24 hour reporting period, Public Health England figures show.

It means that 11,738 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Wednesday (March 31) in Dorset, up from 11,730 the same time on Tuesday.

Meanwhile the number of recorded cases in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole increased by 13 in the same time frame.

Public Health England figures show that 25,139 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Wednesday (March 31) in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, up from 25,126 the same time on Tuesday.

The health body is now including Pillar 2 tests – those carried out by commercial partners – alongside Pillar 1 tests, which are analysed in NHS or PHE laboratories and which made up the first stage of the Government's mass testing programme.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 4,052 over the period, to 4,345,788.

The county's cases were among the 218,345 recorded across the South West, a figure which rose by 184 over the period.

Cumulative case counts include patients who are currently unwell, have recovered and those that have died.